Mein Herz Brennt
by Mako Headrush
Summary: Alt version of FFVII, playing off of the idea of 'what if Reno changed his mind, and aborted the plate drop on Sector 7? There's a lot more to Reno than meets the eye, and Cloud will soon learn that, being his hostage. Rated M for language. Eventual pairing of Cloud/Reno


**This fic began its life as an RP; unfortunately the RP was more or less abandoned, but this story stuck in my mind, so I decided to press on, and convert it into a fic. Basically, it's an alt version of FFVII, playing off of the idea of 'what if Reno changed his mind, and aborted the plate drop on Sector 7'?**

**Usual disclaimer: I do not own FFVII, Square Enix does. This fic is written for fun, not profit. **

**Rated M for language, for now. No pairings as yet, though there may be eventual Reno/Cloud.**

* * *

_Ein heller Schein am Firmament  
__Mein Herz brennt_  


_[A bright light on the Heavens -_  
_My Heart burns]_

**Mein Herz Brennt - Rammstein**

* * *

The Turk stood alone atop the Sector 7 plate, near the control panel for the plate release system, turning it over in his mind the horrific thing he was about to do. The wind whipped hard against his lean body as a lone tear escaped; he wiped at it angrily with the back of his hand, annoyed at this tiny display of emotion...and regret.

_I grew up down there_, Reno thought sorrowfully, shaking his head. _Yeah, it was hell at times - most of the time - but fuck, that was my **home**. Thank Shiva my ma's already dead...if she knew her only son was about to take out an entire Sector, it'd kill her. _He heard a sound behind him, and barely turned to acknowledge the newcomers who were coming up the ladder of the Sector 7 pillar. _AVALANCHE._

"Been expecting you," Reno said sourly, looking upon Barret and Tifa with disdain. Just behind them, a third figure joined them; his flaxen spiked hair catching the beam from a nearby spotlight. Reno blinked. "It's you," he whispered, remembering his run-in with the blond mercenary back in the church, when he'd been pursuing Aerith. _I know you...you were the one me and Rude were sent to find...you and Zack Fair...and we failed, couldn't find you. And Zack died, the Shinra army got to him...our fault, we couldn't get to him in time..._

Reno shook his head, trying to clear his mind and gather his thoughts, and focus on the job he had to do. Yes, this was Cloud Strife, all right, but something was off about him, Reno knew it. He was acting strangely; uncharacteristically cocky, bordering on hostile, really. Gone was the shy but loyal Cadet Strife...Reno wondered, truly wondered, what had happened to Cloud since he'd last laid eyes on him.

The Turk shook his head again, and clenched his jaw. _No time for a fucking walk down memory lane_, he told himself sternly. "Well, folks, I got my orders," Reno told the trio, voice dead calm and serious.

"Stop it right there, ya damn Turk!" Barret bellowed, gun-arm raised, aiming at Reno's head. "Jus' like that? You gonna blow it up to kingdom come, ain't this your home? Bet your mama ain't too proud of what her son has become, a heartless killer, Shinra lapdog."

Reno glared hatefully at the man, and snarled. "What do know about my life? You know _nothing_. And don't you bring my mother into this, asshole. My mother is _dead_," he spat. Tifa remained in a defensive stance, fists raised, but she flinched at Reno's last words, swallowing the hard lump in her throat as she thought of her father, and how he died. "Papa..." she whispered, very softly. She turned to her childhood friend, one who had also lost everything at the hands of Shinra, and looked to him pleadingly. "Cloud...we have to stop him! He's going to destroy it all...just like Nibelheim..."

"Not on my watch," Cloud growled. He stood glaring at the Turk, the buster sword poised and ready to strike the first blow; at this point, Reno had the upper hand. One push of one button, and everything would come tumbling down, Cloud knew he would not be fast enough to stop it. It was a standoff, and Cloud wasn't even sure how - or if - he could get the Turk to change his mind. Judging by the determined look on the redhead's face, Cloud knew it'd be damned near impossible.

"You don't want to do this," Cloud suddenly blurted; he'd been silent up until now, while Barret had done all the talking. "Killing all those innocent people...women, children...do you want that kind of blood on your hands, really?" He frowned, thinking for a moment on what he'd done himself so far for AVALANCHE - just following Barret's orders, a quick job for some quick gil. _People died because of what we did, too_, Cloud thought, sighing. _And yeah, more would be killed if Reno drops the plate, but - **people did die **because of AVALANCHE. Barret thinks he's saving the planet, but he's got blood on his hands, too. _"And I'm worse," Cloud murmured, half to himself, still gripping his sword in his hand. "I'm only in it for the money."

Tifa looked at him curiously, a bit alarmed. "Cloud? What's going on? What are you talking about?" She had a strange feeling that her friend was about to do something rash. There had been something strange about Cloud since he joined up with their group, Tifa realized. He wasn't quite himself, he wasn't quite the Cloud she'd remembered from childhood.

"Tifa, I have to do _something_, or all these people will die," Cloud told her. "I hope you understand." Stepping forward, he handed the buster sword over to Reno, shoving the handle toward him. "Here," Cloud said brusquely. "Take it. Look...here's what I think. Destroying an entire sector to teach a small group of people a lesson? It's stupid, and beyond barbaric."

"Take me instead, as your prisoner," Cloud said stonily, Mako-tinted eyes staring steadily into teal blue ones. "If it's AVALANCHE you want...take me. I'll tell you everything I know." Cloud glanced behind, knowing that Barret was going to argue, and possibly think him a traitor - or, that he was bluffing. "Barret, it's the only way. You'll have to find another way to save the planet other than blowing up Mako reactors." Barret huffed at this, but shrugged his shoulders, shaking his head. "Damned fool idea, Cloud," he muttered. "Besides, can't trust a Turk, not for nothing," he added, frowning at Reno.

Reno shook his head, and took out his cell phone, dialing up Tseng. "Sir? Requesting permission to abort the drop," Reno said quietly. Cloud's eyebrows shot up in surprise, as did Tifa's. Only Barret remained unconvinced; he was certain that the Turk lapdog would pull the rug out from under them at the last minute. "I've got Cloud Strife here," Reno told Tseng. "He's agreed to turn himself in, if we pull the plug on this." Reno listened a moment, waiting for Tseng to get the president's authorization; then nodded. "Okay." He ended the call. "It's all set...President Shinra has agreed to abort this mission, so long as Strife comes with me."

"Sorry, Spikey," Reno murmured as he placed restraints on Cloud's wrists - accidentally slipping and calling Cloud by his old nickname - the one Zack had bestowed upon him.

"Spikey?" Cloud repeated, frowning. "What the hell did you call me that for?" he asked irritably.

"Nothing," Reno said quickly. "Just - nothing, Cloud. Never mind. Let's go."

"I don't like this, Barret," Tifa muttered as they turned away, watching Reno take his prisoner away. "Cloud doesn't seem right to me...do you really think he knows what he's doing?"

* * *

As the others left the platform, Cloud was led away by Reno, who had placed restraints around his wrists, and had taken the buster sword with him, struggling with it minimally as he guided his prisoner toward the helicopter. "Be careful with that!" Cloud hissed, as he heard metal hit metal, the sword had dinged up against the support beam as they passed by.

"Careful with that sword, it's - " Cloud's eyes screwed shut in pain; his headache was beginning to return. The headaches had been plaguing him for some time, he couldn't really remember not having them.

"It's important, that sword," Cloud added, feeling Reno's eyes on him. "It's - "  
_  
Why is it important? Who gave it to me? I can't remember...why can't I remember? _

"Can't remember," Cloud muttered, as Reno looked at him curiously. "Never mind." The two turned as the rumbling sounds started, fear and shock evident upon their faces. "What in the hell - " Cloud began, his eyes wide with horror as the Plate began shaking, the vibrations starting down at the base of the pillar. _The Plate...it's coming down! Reno, you bastard!_

"Son of a bitch!" Reno shouted; it was clear he was just as shocked and surprised as Cloud was, by this turn of events. "Cloud, I didn't do this, I swear! I heard it myself, Tseng and the President told me to abort!"

"Reno! What in the hell did you just do!" Cloud exclaimed, as the plate release system was activated. "Should have known you'd just do it anyway, Barret was right about the Turks..." As soon as he said the words, the expression on Reno's face said it all to Cloud. _He didn't **want **this. He didn't **do **this...someone else did. But who?_

Reno looked up over his head, as he heard the familiar sound of helicopter rotors. "Thank Shiva...it's Rude," Reno whispered, hurrying Cloud along toward the waiting chopper. Rude was lowering the helicopter, a rope ladder swaying precariously. "Come on Cloud, we gotta go!" Reno urged, shoving Cloud toward the waiting chopper. "Come on, quick, the whole thing's gonna fall!"

Cloud shook his head. "And whose fault is that?" he said bitterly. "Tifa and Barret...where are they? I'm not leaving until I know they're safe."

"Cloud, there's no _time_," Reno said nervously, shoving Cloud along, the man refused to budge however. "Come on, or we'll both die!"

"So what?" Cloud said, glaring. "I don't even know what it is I'm living for, so it makes no difference to me, whether I live or die." Reno's eyes went wide, then a sadness clouded them.

"Cloud, everyone's got a reason for being," Reno said hurriedly. "But if you don't get on that fucking chopper _now_, you'll never find out what it is!" As Cloud looked up, he heard Barret bellowing at him, he had grabbed a long cable, Tifa on his back, as they prepared to zip-line out of the area.

"We'll come an' get you away from those Shinra bastards!" Barret yelled. "Told you not to trust that goddamned Turk. Gotta get Tifa safe, but we'll be back!"

Cloud felt his heart fall as his friends disappeared from view, and he prayed for their safety. He felt the cold sting of a knife blade at his wrists, and realized that Reno was freeing him from his bonds.

"So you can grab the ladder, yo," Reno said, shoving Cloud toward the helicopter's ladder. "Go, _now_!" Cloud grabbed the ladder and hoisted himself up, just as the ground began to give way, Reno grabbing onto the bottom rung, the Buster sword still in his hand. "Here, Cloud," Reno murmured, struggling greatly as he tried to pass the object up to Cloud. "Take it." Cloud took the weapon easily, and hauled it into the cabin of the helicopter.

"Platform's becoming unstable," Rude shouted from the pilot's seat. "Get in here _now_, both of you, I have to take off ASAP." Cloud hauled himself into the chopper, followed by Reno, and the blond was on the redhead in seconds, hands around his throat.

"You son of a bitch!" Cloud shouted, throttling Reno. As Rude achieved liftoff, once they were a safe distance away, and heading back to Headquarters, the bald Turk calmly produced a handgun, and aimed it at Cloud.

"Let go of him," Rude said in a hollow voice. "_Now_." Cloud relented, and took his hands off of Reno's neck. He sat back on his heels, weariness setting in. Reno stared out the window as the helicopter lifted higher, Sector 7 quickly being reduced to nothing but rubble as the plate release system fully engaged, and the plate dropped - it almost seemed as if it was in slow-motion - as Reno looked on, his face a mask of horror and sadness.

"You didn't do this," Cloud said matter-of-factly, studying Reno's expression carefully as the redheaded Turk stared out of the side door of the helicopter.

"No, I didn't," Reno said tiredly. "Someone musta had a remote, and set it off that way. Look, I don't expect you to believe me, but Cloud - that was my home. Where I grew up. I didn't want to do it in the _first_ place, but I had my orders."

"Just following orders," Cloud repeated, shaking his head. "Huh." He paused for a moment, reflecting on his own recent actions. "I guess I did that too," he said softly. "I mean...blew up two reactors. _Just for the money_. You know, Barret makes it sound all noble - he's saving the planet - well, I didn't give a damn about that. I wanted the money. That's all. If Barret thinks the Turks and Shinra are monsters...what does that make me?" Cloud pondered, shaking his head sadly.

"You're human, just like the rest of us, Cloud," Reno said quietly. "Fuck, nobody's perfect," he reflected soberly. "Some of us less so than the others." He thought of President Shinra - that sneering, hateful face - and Reno just knew, deep down, that the man was at the center of it. The President had so obviously gone back on his word, and ordered the Plate drop anyway - despite aborting that mission just moments earlier. _And that's how I'm rewarded for my loyalty. What the hell's it all for, anyway?_

"So who the hell _did _drop the Plate? The President?" Cloud mused as he shook his head, trying to make sense of it all. "Why would President ShinRa destroy part of Midgar? I don't understand," he went on, utterly naive and blissfully ignorant of the machinations and ruthlessness of the president. "Why would he - " Cloud was interrupted as the helicopter lurched suddenly, the plate began to collapse, with a sickening groan, and the gust of wind that blew upward knocked the helicopter off course. Cloud hadn't been belted, and went hurtling past Reno, out of the open side door of the helicopter.

"Shit!" Cloud shouted as he literally flew out the door, certain he was about to meet his death, when suddenly - he felt someone pulling at his ankles.

* * *

Tifa and Barret landed just outside of Sector 7 - roughly, and not without suffering a good number of bumps and scrapes, but luckily neither seemed to have any broken bones. Barret's rage was nearly palable; Tifa could tell just from the set of his shoulders, the tensing of his jaw, that the man would be hell-bent on revenge against Shinra now.

"Biggs...Wedge...Jessie...all gone now," Barret said in a low tone, helping Tifa up from where she'd fallen. "You okay?" he asked her, as both checked themselves over for injuries.

"I'm fine," Tifa said dismissively. "Barret, we need to get back to Aerith...and Marlene, she was taking her to her mom's, right?"

"Yeah," Barret said, nodding. "At Elmyra's house, we gotta get there, and fast." Barret grumbled, pushing aside rubble, trying to clear a path for himself and Tifa. "Damn Turk did this, knew he'd double-cross us," he muttered, cursing.

"But I heard him say Tseng ordered the mission aborted," Tifa pointed out. "And Reno - he looked really upset, and shocked, when the plate dropped anyway - "

"Don't fall for that shit, Tifa," Barret told her firmly, as they slowly made their way back toward Sector 5, and Elmyra's house. "He ain't nothin' but a lyin' Turk, another Shinra lapdog. They're all the same. And now, the bastard's got blood on his hands. Biggs...Wedge...Jessie...Reno murdered 'em, Tifa. Just as sure as if he killed them with his own hands. And now he's got Cloud."

They finally reached Sector 5, and Barret paused, turning to Tifa before they approached Aerith's house. "Gonna check on Marlene, then we're going to Headquarters, gotta bust out Cloud. It ain't gonna be easy, so we better gear up, check our weapons and materia."

Tifa nodded. "Okay," she said, wondering if the Turks had already killed Cloud. She didn't want to think it, but wouldn't put it past them - and she wasn't about to bring it up to Barret, Tifa knew he'd argue with her anyway, so she remained silent. "I just hope he's okay, you know?" was all she said to Barret.

"Yeah," Barret said, sighing wearily. Three of his friends gone...possibly a fourth, now that Cloud was taken hostage. Barret wasn't entirely sure either, whether Cloud would be kept alive, or what the Turks would do with him. Had it all been worth it? Fighting for the Planet, for their future...it sounded good on the surface, and Barret still believed in their cause, but now he was starting to wonder.

_You better be okay, Cloud, or I'm gonna kick your spikey, moody ass! _ Barret thought resolutely, as Aerith's house came into view. "Let's go in, Tifa, then we'll get this show on the road," he said firmly.

* * *

**A/N: Poor Reno...tries to do the right thing, and he gets double-crossed himself anyway. Damn Shinra, as Barret would say!**


End file.
